With more veterans, service members and their families on campus than any other school in a six-state region, 51ΑΤΖζ works hard to serve these students.
The latest effort: The grand opening Thursday of the renovated and enlarged Military and Veterans Resource Center (known as MAVRC) room WG99 (across from the Union Station) in the Student Union.
βItβs just a thrill for us to be able to support this,β Chancellor Mark Mone said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. βOur student veteran population enriches our campus in so many ways.β
The facility features a quiet study room with computers for veterans who donβt have them, as well as expanded space to accommodate more visitors. The center opened three years ago, and it was soon apparent that more space was needed, director Mike Kirchner said. The center has seen a 20-percent increase in foot traffic each month, he said.
βItβs so great that we got this space,β said Jeff Owens, a junior and veteran. βWe were on top of each other.β
Renovations were funded in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, along with support from the 51ΑΤΖζ Division of Student Affairs.
Monica Preston, a senior and veteran, came from a small college in California where she said little was done for student veterans. She enjoys 51ΑΤΖζβs welcoming space to do homework or relax from the stresses of school.
βItβs like being at home, and having a room full of your best friends that you can talk to and vent and decompress,β Preston said.
The Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee recruits veterans to work for the Veterans Administration through 51ΑΤΖζ, said James Mclain, the medical centerβs deputy director.
βIβm a veteran, so this is near and dear to my heart,β Mclain said. βThis university values its veterans, so this is a place that we really want to be a part of.β
Guidance for veterans begins with enrollment and a special orientation process. They are introduced to 51ΑΤΖζβs Veterans Upward Bound program, which helps veterans with basic skills become ready for postsecondary education. Veterans also receive help in identifying state and federal benefits from 51ΑΤΖζβs Military Education Benefits Office. They receive a customized tour, highlighting additional campus resources such as VetSuccess.
Students often share information about a service or a resource they have benefited from, said Gretchen Schuttey, a certified veterans rehabilitation counselor with VetSuccess.
The center has also been important in the assimilation process for veterans, who tend to be older than other students, and may have experiences that can make connecting difficult, Kirchner said.
Cortney Maynard, a senior student veteran, left the military to take care of her sick grandfather, and came to Milwaukee and 51ΑΤΖζ without knowing anyone. Fellow 51ΑΤΖζ veterans gave her tours of the campus to help her become acquainted.
βI get to meet all kinds of awesome people and become friends,β Maynard said of working at the center. βThe expansion has allowed us to do even more great things for even more great people.β
Joe Campbell, a member of the Milwaukee County Veterans Board of Directors and a Vietnam veteran, said 51ΑΤΖζ understands the importance of providing resources to veterans reentering school.
βItβs terribly important for the veterans to come back and get their brotherhood together, knowing theyβre not alone,β Campbell said. βThen they can blend in without worrying about being a veteran, and become a citizen again.β
